Costa Rica can be unfriendly for budget travellers. It’s the most expensive country to visit Central America with sky-high food prices in restaurants and supermarkets, inflated accommodation costs and jaw-droppingly extortionate activity prices.

Follow my tried and tested tips below to make your money go further:

• Book your accommodation way in advance to grab the best deals, this is especially important to do in peak season. If you leave booking a hostel/hotel to the last minute, the only places left will be really expensive or with low ratings. You don’t want to be left scraping the bottom of the barrel, metaphorically.

• Take public buses rather than booking private transfers or tourist shuttles (i.e. San Jose – La Fortuna, Monteverde – San Jose). For the bus to La Fortuna from San Jose head to this bus terminal. Watch out for the scammers near Terminal 7-10 entrance as they will try to tell you there aren’t any buses from the station. This terminal is also in a really sketchy part of town and I don’t recommend walking the streets in the area around the terminal. To book a bus from Monteverde back to San Jose, follow directions to this ticket office. If you are heading from San Jose to Manuel Antonio, or anywhere else in the South or West, you can get a bus from this terminal.

• Uber is available in many places, although in some regions such as Monteverde it may not be possible to get an Uber due to a lack of drivers. Regular taxis in San Jose and other places may overcharge you because you’re a tourist. I recommend using Uber to get around instead of hailing a cab. We heard about one tourist being charged $80 by an unscrupulous taxi driver to get from one bus station to another in San Jose. Don’t risk it, get an Uber instead. 

• Fill up on fruit and vegetables at Fruterias instead of plastic-wrapped groceries in the supermarket. A Fruteria is a local shop selling fresh fruit and vegetables, you can find them in most towns and you’ll get the best prices for fresh produce here and likely the best quality too. Fresh fruit is a great snack to bring with you whilst out hiking. 

Feasting on yellow watermelon and grenadine in the park

• Eat out at Sodas rather than high-end restaurants. Generally speaking Sodas offer cheaper food and large portions. Don’t expect gourmet food at a Soda. Keep in mind that they offer cheap meals in a country with high food prices. They’re great if you’re not a food snob and looking to save money by avoiding fancier restaurants. Most of the time you can’t go wrong ordering fried rice or a casado as these usually don’t vary much in quality from place to place. The prices at the Sodas are still somewhat expensive compared to the rest of Central America, however sometimes it actually works out cheaper to eat at Sodas than cooking your own meals. I spent over £30 in the supermarket buying all the ingredients for a basic meal for 3, pasta in tomato sauce with some vegetables and parmesan. 

In case you’re wondering what a casado looks like!

• If you decide to cook, bear in mind meat is particularly expensive. Instead opt to cook vegetarian meals such as pasta or rice dishes.

• You can dramatically reduce costs by making your own simple breakfast of cereal or porridge and fruit instead of going out for breakfast at a café or restaurant. Make sure you book accommodation with a kitchen so you can make breakfast before heading out for the day.

• Head to a bakery to pick up some lunch. Baked goods tend to be much cheaper than sit-down meals at Sodas or regular restaurants. Empanadas were our go-to lunch in Costa Rica. 

• If you’re not on a tight schedule and have some flexibility when it comes to your itinerary, consider booking your activities in person when you arrive. This way, you can compare prices from tour agencies and are more likely to get a better deal than booking online before you arrive. We found our accommodation often offered activities at a lower price than what we’d already booked online. 

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